Zucchini Italian Striped is easily overlooked at the end of our courgette list so if you have got as far as reading this you have discovered a hidden gem with a wonderful flavour.

This is a lovely traditional Italian favourite that is simply delicious.  They can be picked very young and small, cooked in the same way as asparagus and served with melted butter. You will not be disappointed 

Luffa, or loofah, are amazing climbing plants with lots of bright yellow flowers. They are best known as the source of loofah sponges – planet friendly and compostable - and let well known in the UK as an edible crop.   Yes, young luffas are edible: they can be sliced and added raw to salads (as can young luffa leaves) where it gives a mild cucumber-like flavour. When the fruits are gherkin-sized they can be added to stir fry, soups, and sauces because they soak up the flavours and add texture.  Chop and add to curries where they will bulk up and cook in a similar way to squashes.

Although they need a long growing season you can get a crop if planted out when frost risk has passed.  They can be sown as early as February but for minimum root disturbance sowing indoors in April works well for most.  Choose a sunny sheltered wall to help support them of grow in a conservatory, greenhouse or polytunnel.

Price for 6 seeds

Little marrows for small spaces do not come much better than this: lovely dark green fruits have a pale green stripe; they grow to about 15-20cm long and are both tender and flavourful. The plants are so compact you can even grow them in a container. 

This marrow variety is very early mature and is very popular. It will produce large dark green fruit with pale stripes. It can be cut young at courgette size (10-15cm) or left to mature. It has an excellent taste when lightly cooked. 

This marrow is a remarkable striped bush type that fruits even earlier than Long Green Bush. It is prolific, uniform and disease resistant. If you pick it when it is small it makes a fine courgette. 

Each of these varieties will try to out do the others, tasty, easy to pick, colourful, flavourful, fun, impressive, productive… all are fabulous in their own right.  Which will be your favourite or will it be a three wat tie for first place?.  Each packet contains 6 seeds

This collection contains one packet each of...

Defender F1 ~ top-quality British bred variety with lovely speckled green fruit.  AGM winner, compact yet open habit and prolific fruiting

Sunstripe F1 ~ are a bright highlight in any garden, delicious, bright yellow & white fruits, a prolific British Bred spineless choice

Tromborcino Albenga ~ simply amazing gently curved fruits with bell ends…except they can grow huge and are eye-opening conversation crops… tasty in more ways than one!